May 19, 2006
FRESNO, CA - Fresno State's Daisy Gaynor went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and freshman Robin Mackin tossed a four-hit compete-game shutout as the third-seeded Bulldogs defeated second-seeded Cal State Fullerton, 2-0, on Friday night in the opening game of the 2006 NCAA Regionals in Fresno, Calif.
The loss snapped the Titans' five-game winning streak, dropping them to 36-23 overall. They will meet the loser of Friday night's second game between Stanford and Tulsa in the tournament's first elimination game on Saturday (May 20) at 2:30 p.m.
Fresno State improved to 36-17 overall and will meet the winner of the Cardinal-Golden Hurricane match-up on Saturday at 12 p.m.
Gaynor, who entered the regionals with just three hits in eight at-bats on the season, had a pair of singles in the third and seventh innings to set the table, scoring on RBI hits by Haley Perkins and Christina Clark, respectively.
Mackin (27-12) took it from there, stranding six Titans on the basepaths - including four in scoring position - to earn the shutout victory. She walked two and struck out one.
Fullerton senior Marissa Marzan (12-9) pitched well in her first appearance in Fresno since her prep days at nearby Bullard HS, allowing seven hits and striking out two.
Amanda Kamekona, Kiki Munoz, and Katie Gollhardt each had singles for the Titans while sophomore Jenna Wheeler added a fourth-inning double.
The Titans had their best chance to score in that fourth inning as Gollhardt's single led-off the inning and she moved to third on Wheeler's two-out double down the left field line.
Mackin worked out of the jam, however, inducing an inning-ending ground ball to end the threat and preserve a one-run lead.